


Gravitational Pull

by Maverick



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:34:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1652156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maverick/pseuds/Maverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Here's all I know for sure. E = MC 2 , no one is immune to the siren call of Astronaut Ice Cream, and I'm attracted to anyone smarter than me."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gravitational Pull

**Author's Note:**

> Back in the day, a floppy haired Joe Flanigan played a smart and goofy grad student who flirted with and then hooked up with Murphy Brown. This little ditty replaces Murphy Brown with Rodney McKay.
> 
> Oh and finally, I blatantly borrowed and manipulated some ideas and dialogue from that Murphy Brown episode.
> 
> I must state first and foremost that this is all kitestringer’s fault. 
> 
> Thanks to cheights for her usual stellar beta.

Rodney didn't know how he had ended up at the Children's Museum. The day had started out normal enough. He spent the morning explaining to the idiots at the Pentagon that a defensive shield was not a viable option without the discovery or creation of a much more powerful energy source than was currently known to man. He then went to Georgetown to deliver a lecture on angular momentum and gravitational pull where one of the graduate students had the audacity to question his calculations. They had a heated exchange in which the student gave as good as he got.  
  
Rodney had shut the other man down quickly, but afterward, he had to admit he was intrigued by how this Scott Hayman, according to the head of the department, had come to the conclusions he had. It wasn't often that Rodney encountered anyone, even post grad students, who could comprehend his work, much less effectively argue an alternative, albeit slightly flawed theory. That this Scott, with his thick tousled haired and infectious smile, was the most attractive person that Rodney had seen in a really long time had absolutely nothing to do with it.  
  
He simply wanted to know more about Hayman's theory. Yes, about his *theory* and nothing more. So he figured it was worth the $4 it cost him to get into the museum.  
  
Rodney watched as a class of school children hovered around Scott who was busy explaining how airplanes took off and landed. It was a rudimentary lesson at best, but the kids ate it up like candy. After the last child had finally walked away, Rodney made his way over to the exhibit. "That's your theory of flight? Wind gets under the wing and it's up, up and away?"  
  
Scott stood up and leaned his hip against the table in front of him. He looked extremely pleased to see Rodney. "It is a children's museum, Dr. McKay. We find that Bernoulli's Principle is slightly beyond the comprehension of the average six year old."  
  
"That's a shame," Rodney said suddenly feeling flushed as Scott's eyes never left his. "I'll have you know I was writing gravitational time dilation theorems by the time I was six."  
  
"Really? That's impressive," Scott said with a smirk that said he wasn't really impressed at all. "At six, I was trying to master an ollie on my skateboard."  
  
"A what? Never mind." Rodney didn't have time for this. He was much too busy for idle chit chat. "How much longer will you be here?"  
  
"On Earth, in Washington, or at the Museum?" Scott asked, as he squatted down to pull out some more props for the next round of kids.  
  
"Are you always this obtuse?"  
  
Scott smiled again. "Pretty much, yes. And I'll be off in half an hour. If you want to wait around, we could go get something to eat, maybe go back to my place?"  
  
Rodney stood up straight, his eyes wide. "Are you asking me out on a date?"  
  
Scott raised an eyebrow and shifted his head from side to side like he was considering his options. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I just asked you out."  
  
"On a date?"  
  
Scott nodded and patted Rodney on the shoulder. "I don't think I'm breaking any new ground here. You, me, some food, a few beers and then perhaps back to my place with its really comfy couch."  
  
"But I'm a guy."  
  
Scott looked at Rodney like he was really, really dumb. "Believe me Dr. McKay that fact hasn't escaped me. If you're not interested, all you have to do is say no."  
  
Rodney wasn't used to people looking at him that way. But then again he wasn't used to people as attractive as Scott Hayman coming on to him either. "And if I am interested?" he said before he could stop himself.  
  
Scott smiled wide. "Then go play in one of the other exhibits, Rodney, and meet me back here in half an hour."  
  
"Rodney?"  
  
"That is your name right?"  
  
Rodney nodded.  
  
"Call me old fashioned, but I like to call my dates by their first names. I'm Scott by the way, Scott Hayman." He extended his hand.  
  
Rodney took it and tried hard not to shudder when Scott stroked his thumb across the back of his hand. "I know," he said thickly. "I'll see you in half an hour."  
  
"I'll be here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
By the end of the half hour Rodney was pretty sure agreeing to the date was all a huge mistake. He first came to that conclusion while sitting through a flawed and droning program in the museum's planetarium narrated by Tom Hanks. He wondered how anyone managed to stay awake. But by the time Hanks had shut up, he'd decided that one date wouldn't hurt. Then the feeling of unease came rushing back after he grappled with a kid over the last Astronaut Ice Cream in the gift shop. In the end, he'd won the ice cream much to the disdain of the cashier. As he munched on the freeze-dried treat, he realized his social skills were about on par with a fourth grader's grasp of calculus. There was no way this could ever work out. And he'd just have to tell Scott that.  
  
But when he made his way back to the exhibit, Scott met him with such a wide grin that he was momentarily distracted.  
  
"You ready to go?" Scott asked grabbing the leather jacket off the pilot display.  
  
Rodney raised an eyebrow.  
  
"It's my jacket, I promise. I just let Major John here borrow it from two to six, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."  
  
Rodney laughed in spite himself. "Listen. I don't think..."  
  
Scott frowned and put his hand on Rodney's shoulder. "Don't think. That's what's getting you into trouble. Just come out with me. No pressure."  
  
Rodney was quiet for a moment. Scott's warm grip was on his shoulder both comforting and distracting. "You're a grad student. I work for the Pentagon."  
  
Scott squeezed Rodney's shoulder before letting go. "You have a firm grasp on the obvious there, McKay. All I have left to do is defend my thesis, and I'll have Ph.D. after my name just like you." He looked at Rodney and raised his hand in a Boy Scout salute. "And I give you my solemn word, I won't try to seduce any defense secrets out of you."  
  
"You're a nice guy. It's not you. I'm just not what you'd call a people person," Rodney said, his hands gesturing wildly.  
  
Scott raised an eyebrow. "Really? I would never have guessed." He smiled and brought his hand up to cup Rodney's jaw, his thumb sweeping across his beard. "Here's all I know for sure. E = MC 2 , no one is immune to the siren call of Astronaut Ice Cream, and I'm attracted to anyone smarter than me."  
  
Rodney smiled crookedly at that. "Well I can't argue with any of those theories."  
  
"Good," Scott said throwing his arm around Rodney's shoulder. "Come on, I want to show you the shadow exhibit."  
  
Inside the darkened room, Rodney opened his mouth under Scott's just as the flash of the camera went off. The image of their first kiss was burned on the wall behind them.  
  
When he pulled back, Scott's lips were wet and his smile was even bigger than before. "You taste like chocolate and strawberry," he said, leaning if for another kiss.  
  
Rodney nodded when they separated again. "The siren call," he said as he nuzzled Scott's jaw.  
  
"Oh, I know all about that." Scott slid his hands down to grip Rodney's ass.  
  
When they broke apart again, Rodney finally caught the image of them kissing on the wall. They looked good together even in shadows, but it was very clear they were both men from the picture.  
  
Scott caught Rodney's eyes with his own. "Don't worry, it'll fade before morning."  
  
Rodney nodded. "Well I wouldn't want to give those six years olds a lesson they couldn't handle."  
  
Scott smiled and slid his arm around Rodney's waist, letting his fingers skim beneath the waistband. "No, that would have been if I'd given you a blowjob."  
  
Rodney coughed out a startled laugh. "You do that often?"  
  
Scott shook his head and leaned over to nuzzle Rodney's neck. "Can't say that I do. I know it's hard to believe, but there are very few people out there *actually* smarter than me."  
  
Rodney smiled and slung his own arm across Scott's shoulders. "So, I should consider myself lucky?"  
  
Scott leered at him. "I think we're both about to get lucky, Rodney."  
  
Rodney leaned in for another kiss. It looked like he'd finally found a theory he couldn't disprove.  
  


**Author's Note:**

>  **Story Notes** :
> 
> Because my own comprehension of flight theory lingers around that of a six year old, a link to an explanation of Bernoulli's Principle can be found [HERE ](http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/bernoulli/DI9.htm)
> 
> In case you don't know what an "ollie" is here's the definition from the online skateboard dictionary which explains it much better than I could.
> 
> _Ollie: A skateboarding trick where the skateboarder pops the skateboard into the air. The effect is the skateboarder jumping with the skateboard stuck to his or her feet._
> 
> Basically, the trick involves snapping the tail of the skateboard down while sliding the front foot up along the skateboard and jumping. This trick takes a lot of practice to get the technique, but once learned it opens the door for the bulk of common skateboarding tricks.  
> 


End file.
